Follow the Breadcrumbs
Hi there,
It was a cold morning in late January and I went outside to catch the gorgeous sunrise. My best access to the eastern sky is by walking across the street, where the neighbor’s horses are. Ooh, what if I took a picture of the horses every day, to help me through the dark winter days?
That’s how I started my 100-day project. I did it on a whim, which is how I do a lot of things. I am not a planner. If I plan I will talk myself out of it before I even start. No, I go with a momentary spark.
“What if…?” is such a great way to start a question. It opens us up to possibility. It sets us up for being bold and curious.
As I’m now at the halfway point of my 100-day project, I’m starting to get what these projects are about. They’re about showing up for yourself and the world, even when it’s hard. They’re about commitment - learning the difficult skill of noticing resistance and “doing it anyway.” They’re about being awake, even for the dreary parts.
I say this so casually but it’s taken me a lifetime to come to the point where I choose, each day, to show up for myself. That’s where the magic happens.
When we start showing up for ourselves, we send a message that we’re worth it, we matter. There’s an insecure part in each of us that needs to hear this, over and over. You are worthy of love and attention. Once we start believing that, the world becomes an entirely different place.
Back to this 100-day project. There was the initial surprise of realizing how much I looked forward each day to going outside and greeting the day and the horses. It got my body moving and my heart rate going, and to my delight the horses greeted me back! “There’s that lady again. I wonder what she wants?”
I wondered, too, some days. Especially when the dreariness of the Oregon winter set in. Day after day I got myself outside into the wet cold to take yet another drab picture of a gray sky with horses so far away you could barely make them out. Why on earth was I doing this?
And then day 49 happens: a bright spot of sun and the horses so close I can count their glistening whiskers. Finally! Something different!
So, what’s the point of a 100-day project? NOTICING! Honing the skill of noticing the world around us AND how it affects us.
When we see the same thing around the same time every day, we start noticing differences. We notice how sameness affects us. We notice how even a slight difference affects us: We light up. We feel grateful. We feel alive. We’re more able to handle the next dreary day. It’s not rocket science. But it is kind of magical.
What grabs your attention today? What if you went with that breadcrumb and followed it to the next one? What if you kept it up, day after day, with wonder and curiosity?
Thank you for your responses to my newsletters! It truly makes my day to hear back from you. So please, keep it coming. Also, if you know anyone who could benefit from receiving these messages, please forward this email on to them. If I can inspire one more person to feel more alive, I would love that.
Warmly,
Mary B.
PS: My group program The Art of Joy is launching in mid August! Get on the waitlist now to be the first to know when registration opens. This is a small group experience so spots are limited.
PPS: To those of you who have already signed up to my waitlist: Thank you! I’m so excited you’re ready to hone the skill of noticing and build your own nurturing daily practice that will transform and sustain you.
